Saturday, July 28, 2012

Monday, July 23, 2012

Check out this ludicrous example of small-scale bureaucracy. Although entirely subjective, I would argue that their front-yard garden is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing yards in the whole neighborhood.

One of the underlying issues with this article of course is design. The garden is, probably by most peoples standards, well designed. It's orderly, tidy and neat. My hunch is that the petition will get signed and they will be allowed to keep their beautiful vegetable garden. Design plays a significant role in the judgement of the garden, for what if the garden looked like the one below...

Hmm. One of my other issues with this article is that with adequate rainfall, especially given the temperate climate of Drummondville, QC, their front yard requires no water, no lawn mowing, nor any fertilizer. Judging by the two houses in the photograph, you get the sense that the majority of neighbors have immaculately maintained lawns, which, as any well-informed person know, is absolutely abysmal for the environment.

For the sake of the environment and good design, I hope the local bureaucracy gets off of their high horse and lets them keep their beautiful garden.

About ATR

Atelier Tabula Rasa is a New England-based vernacular design and research studio that is primarily involved in the exploration of American vernacular architecture, historic preservation, and contemporary building-focused craft practices. Examining these topics through the fields of architecture, landscape, and urban design, ATR seeks to explore and present new ways of thinking about the design and evolution of our built environment.

The intent of this website is to exhibit both the ongoing work of ATR and its principal designer Ryan Edwards, as well as to exhibit the work of other designers, artists, and scholars whose work is reflective of, or in some cases counter to, the studio's core design and philosophical principles. In addition, the blog format of this website allows for visitors to comment on and critique the presented work in an open forum-type context, with the intent of potentially generating an engaging discourse on any of the various works presented.

People

Ryan N. Edwards

Founder, Principal Designer

Born a seventh generation Vermonter and educated at the Wentworth Institute of Technology (M.Arch. '10), Ryan's scholarly and professional interests in American vernacular architecture, historic preservation, and contemporary craft practices evolved both from his time at Wentworth and through his apprenticeships with a number of highly regarded master builders in the state of Vermont.

In addition to his time at ATR, Ryan also works as a Junior Architect at Helicon Design Group in Boston, and with fellow Wentworth alumnus Michael Bellefeuille at their collaborative multidisciplinary design practice, The Big Dog Atelier.